Drivers will soon no longer be able to get onto Highway 97 North from Westwood Drive as part of changes in store to make crossing the highway in that area safer for pedestrians.
The northbound lane leading to 22nd Avenue is to be closed by mid to late January, according to a city staff report detailing further changes planned for the area following the death of a College of New Caledonia student this past summer.
Drivers will still be able to reach Highway 97 northbound by heading east on Massey Drive and then turning onto the onramp just past the overpass.
Those who want to get onto Highway 97 southbound will still be able to use the turning lane connection at Westwood and the highway south of the intersection. And the southbound access to Westwood will remain unaffected.
Changes to traffic signals for traffic coming from 22nd Avenue will make the closure necessary, staff said.
At it stands, right-turn, left-turn and through traffic and pedestrians can all proceed at the same time.
With the changes, drivers turning left will get an advanced green light allowing them to pass through before walkers are given the go-ahead to cross the highway via the crosswalk on the north side.
“With through traffic idle while the leftturning traffic advances, Westwood northbound traffic will not be able to advance and long queues will develop creating traffic congestion and traffic backing up towards Massey Drive,” staff say in the report. A second phase green light will allow through traffic and drivers turning right to pass through at the same time pedestrians are crossing.
The northbound lane leading to 22nd Avenue is to be closed by mid to late January... following the death of a College of New Caledonia student this past summer.
The signal for pedestrians will also include a countdown feature.
Information signs will be posted to give drivers the heads up.
Several measures have been taken in the wake of the June 6 death of Sandeep Kaur, who was struck and killed while trying to cross the highway at a spot between 18th and 22nd Avenues, a few hundred metres north of the intersection.
The works have included removing the sidewalk from the CNC campus to a decommissioned bus stop, putting up signs on the CNC campus directing pedestrians to the intersection, installing concrete barriers on the west side of East Central at 20th Avenue, also with signs pointing to the intersection, building a sidewalk from the same spot to the intersection and installing a fence along the highway’s median from 22nd Avenue to 18th Avenue.
In early October, charges against Michelle Denise Dac, the driver accused of running into Kaur, were reduced from impaired driving causing death and causing an accident resulting in death to dangerous driving, driving while impaired and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08. Her case remains before the court.
The full staff report and accompanying slide presentation is posted with this story at www.princegeorgecitizen.com.
Sawmill workers taking strike vote
Job action by the B.C. Interior’s unionized sawmill workers is set to spread.
United Steelworkers members working at Canfor’s Plateau, Polar and Chetwynd sawmills are voting this week on whether to give the bargaining committee a strike mandate.
The outcome should be known by Saturday, USW Local 1-2017 business agent Brian O’Rourke said, and if it’s in the affirmative, they will join a growing number who are in a strike position.
Those employed in the southern region moved into strike position on Tuesday morning after mediated talks held in Kelowna last week with the employer’s bargaining agent, the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association, broke down.
“After making some very significant moves to break the logjam between the two parties, the industry still insisted on keeping concessions on the table and dictating conditions on bargaining,” said USW lead negotiator Bob Matters in a statement.
Workers at 13 mills in the northern
region have been in a strike position since Oct. 6. They had waged a campaign of rotating strikes, which was put on hold while the talks in Kelowna were held. Next steps will likely be determined next week.
“We are just at a standstill for right now,” O’Rourke said.
The USW is accusing employers of refusing to share with workers the “record profits” they have reaped this year, “while insisting the union agree to concessions.”
“The USW Bargaining Committee remains committed to achieving a fair collective agreement for our members. The bargaining committee has pushed the employer hard at the negotiating table and believe now job action by the membership is needed to send a clear message.”
Council on Northern Interior Forest Employment Relations, the bargaining agent for those 13 mills, is offering two-per-cent wage increases in each year of a five-year contract. Reached this week, CONIFER executive director Mike Bryce said the association remains willing to reach a negotiated settlement that’s acceptable to both parties.
FortisBC asks customers to conserve gas
Citizen news service
The natural gas supply is improving for British Columbia, but FortisBC Energy Inc. is still asking its residential and business customers to conserve ahead of the two coldest months of the year.
Fortis says in a news release that measures to boost its natural gas supply, warmer than average weather and an announcement from Enbridge that it will increase its pipeline pressure are all increasing the supply.
The Enbridge pipeline that exploded and burned last month near Prince George has been fixed and the company
says it will raise its maximum allowable operating pressure to 85 per cent.
FortisBC CEO Roger Dall’Antonia says the latest news, and the company’s purchase of additional natural gas from the open market, puts it in a much better position to supply its customers over the winter.
However, he says in order to ensure Fortis has a sufficient supply for all its customers, conservation is still needed.
Fortis says in a statement that if there is a prolonged cold period, demand could outpace supply and Fortis may have to ask its large-scale industrial or commercial customers to curtail operations.
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff
CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Emily Bornestig keeps a keen eye as she places ornaments on the Enchainement Dance Centre tree, titled A Christmas Carol, at the 25th annual Festival of Trees at the Civic Centre.
The festival opens to the public on Saturday.
Toonie auction
Alice Compagnon from Carrier Sekani Family Services displays some of the items that will be available at the agency’s Toonie Auction today between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at 2025 Victoria St. The public is invited to the event that will also have a beef dip lunch with dessert for $10. The Toonie Auction generates funds to provide gifts for the children of the over 100 families they help support.
Kamloops entrepreneur launches sex doll escort service
Randy SHORE Vancouver Sun
Kristen Dickson always wanted to own a brothel, but her new sex doll escort service creates fewer legal issues.
In fact, her Kamloops-based rental service House of Dolls has a license from the city to operate as a home-based rental business for adult novelty toys.
Rather than using the dolls in her place of business, her customers interact with them at home.
Dickson abandoned the brothel business model because Kamloops forbids so-called body-rub parlours, but as far as the city is concerned what people do with novelty items at home is their own business.
“It’s a rental category, so it doesn’t matter if you are renting bouncy castles or any other item people rent,” said business license inspector Dave Jones. The annual license fee is $196.40.
In Vancouver Bella Dolls has been operating a sex doll brothel since early November, taking
30-minute bookings for little as $90, though you can reserve up to two hours with a doll for $160.
Customers are sent the location of “Bella Dolls mansion” where they interact with the dolls after they book online, according to marketing director Ally Chan.
The most expensive of the four dolls on offer appear to be fully booked on Friday and time slots for Thursday and Saturday were scarce.
Dolls retail online for as little as $1,700 at Sex Doll Canada of Toronto, but range up to $3,800.
Models from Real Doll cost up to $10,000.
But in Kamloops beginning Dec. 1, House of Dolls will deliver the lifelike, 30-kilogram sex dolls to people at their home or hotel and leave them for the night at a cost of $350.
“That price includes delivery, set up and pick up the next day,” said Dickson, who is married with two children.
“I think this is going to have real opportunities for people with disabilities and for seniors.”
At its heart, House of Dolls offers an experience without the risk of sexually transmitted disease and without human exploitation, she said.
Interest in the service has been intense.
“When news got out, the traffic to my website crashed the server,” she said.
Dickson has five dolls ready to go and two more on order at a cost to her of about $18,000.
The dolls vary in race, size, hair colour and physical characteristics.
“Zach, the male doll, will be the last to go into service,” she said.
House of Dolls operates in a kitchen-grade workspace, where dolls undergo a two-hour sanitizing process after use.
The dolls have a metal frame with silicone flesh and realistic genitals.
“They are cleaned with antimicrobial soap and warm water from head to toe,” she said.
An internal camera and a black light are used to ensure no human residues remain, inside or out.
PGFR douses fire at Giscome Road home
Damage was kept to a minimum when Prince George Fire Rescue firefighters were called to a 7200-block Giscome Road home late Wednesday evening.
“A quick attack was made by the crews and the fire was extinguished quickly,” PGFR assistant chief Kevin Scobie said.
“There was minimal damage to the structure.”
In all, 17 firefighters from four halls converged on the scene. Alerted by a smoke detector, the home’s lone occupant escaped without injury. Damage is estimated at $8,000 and the fire’s cause is under investigation.
— Citizen staff
Cariboo Rocks the North ‘risk-free’ tickets on sale
Special ‘risk-free’ tickets to Cariboo Rocks the North classic rock music festival are now on sale.
Anyone who buys a pass by next Thursday, when the full line-up for this summer’s event will be released, can get a refund if they don’t like the acts to take to the stage.
But promoters doubt that will be an issue.
“We are confident you will love this year’s lineup as the 11 bands have a combined 27 platinum records, 17 gold records and 18 Juno Awards combined,” they said in a press release.
The festival is set for Aug. 9-11 at Exhibition Park.
As it stands, the packages are available at discounted prices – starting at $149.50 plus taxes and service charges for a full three-day pass. VIP tickets are available for $399.
To buy a pass, go to www.cariboorocksthenorth.com or www.ticketsnorth.ca or call toll free at 1-888-293-6613. — Citizen staff
Drugs seized from Isle Pierre home
Citizen staff
An estimated $50,000 worth of drugs was seized and seven people were arrested Wednesday when RCMP executed a search warrant on an Isle Pierre Road home, 30 kilometres west of Prince George.
About 1.5 kilograms of what police believe to be methamphetamine and one kilogram of what
police believe to be cocaine were located in the home.
In addition, police seized cash, drug trafficking paraphernalia and a loaded rifle.
Four men and three women were taken into custody and later released, pending further investigation and charge approval from federal Crown counsel.
“This is significant disruption
to drug trafficking in our community,” RCMP said.
“The Prince George RCMP is committed to enforcement and prevention initiatives that combat the possession and sale of drugs in the community.”
The detachment’s street crew unit carried out the raid with help from the North District RCMP’s emergency response team.
Rotating postal strikes may prompt extension of electoral reform vote
Gordon HOEKSTRA
Vancouver Sun
Elections B.C. is monitoring Canada Post job action daily but has made no decision on whether the province’s electoral reform referendum needs to be extended.
Canada Post is dealing with a fifth week of rotating strikes by thousands of unionized workers as B.C. is in the midst of a mailin referendum that asks voters whether they want to change to a proportional voting system or stick with first-past-the-post.
On Wednesday, the federal government gave notice that they’re prepared to legislate Canada Post employees back to work as the postal service and union spar over the scale of the backlog that the rotating strikes have created.
Ballots for B.C.’s electoral referendum must be received by Elections B.C. by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Referendum deadline looming
Citizen staff
The deadline to request a voting package for the referendum on proportional representation is fast approaching. Voters who haven’t received a voting package have until midnight today to ask for one. They have three options:
• Online: elections.bc.ca/ovr
• By calling 1-800-661-8683
(This week: Today 8:00 a.m. to midnight)
• At a Service BC Centre or Referendum Service Office. Completed voting packages must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 30.
“Elections BC is assessing the full impact of rotating strikes at Canada Post and is considering extending this deadline,” officials added. “Regardless of whether or not the deadline is extended, Elections BC encourages voters to return their completed voting package as soon as possible.”
“The chief electoral officer has the authority to extend deadlines if necessary and that is a possibility,” Elections B.C. spokesman Andrew Watson said Wednesday. He noted that B.C. Elections is in regular communication with Canada Post.
“If a change is made, we will communicate it to the public. Our basis for extending the deadline would be if job action prevents voters from participating through no fault of their own,” said Watson.
Watson noted that the situation at Canada Post is fluid, but voters can be assured that if they mail their completed voting package Wednesday it will be received for counting.
Federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said Wednesday that 48-hours notice is required before introducing back-to-work legislation, but insisted that having done so doesn’t mean the government
will make the move to end rotating strikes by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Voters can also return their ballots in person at referendum centres throughout B.C.
Last week, the No B.C. Proportional Representation Society called on Elections B.C. to extend the voting period, citing the Canada Post dispute and low turnout, which was at 7.4 per cent at the time.
As of Wednesday, Elections B.C. had received 25 per cent of ballots from eligible voters.
Watson said their approach has been communicated to the no PR group.
Said Bill Tieleman, a leader for the No side: “We’ve had rotating Canada Post workers strikes and an abysmal turnout to date. Perhaps it’s time for Elections B.C. to exercise its authority and ensure a reasonable return rate in this referendum.”
Looting-related charge dropped against man
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
A Williams Lake-area man no longer stands accused of getting his hands on $65,000 worth of heavy equipment allegedly stolen from evacuated properties when massive wildfires struck the area two summers ago.
A count of possessing stolen property over $5,000 against Shane Michael Brady, 40, of Big Lake, was stayed Monday in Williams Lake provincial court due to a lack of evidence. The matter had been set to go to trial on that day.
“The decision to stay the charges in this case was made shortly before the trial when the prosecutor concluded the charge approval standard could no longer be met,” said B.C. Prosecution Service communication counsel Daniel McLaughlin. “In these circumstances a stay of proceedings is the appropriate course of action.”
Brady, who has previous
convictions for property-related offences, was arrested July 10, 2017 as a result of an investigation by the B.C. Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit with help from Burnaby RCMP, BC Conservation Services and North District RCMP’s federal and serious organized crime unit. At the time, police said they acted on a tip that a prolific offender was active within the wildfire evacuation zone and found the equipment on a remote property in the Beaver Creek area northeast of Williams Lake.
According to Crown assessment guidelines, charges will only be continued if Crown counsel remains satisfied the evidence gathered supports a “strong, solid case” that provides a substantial likelihood of conviction. The test applies at all stages of the prosecution.
“In this case, the prosecutor concluded the test was no longer met and directed the stay of proceedings,” McLaughlin said.
Pulp mills likely source of haze
Citizen staff
The pulp mills are the likely source of the haze that settled over the Bowl area Thursday morning, according to a UNBC professor.
Peter Jackson noted a light easterly wind and a spike in the reading for particulate matter at the Plaza 400 monitoring station, which jumped from about 17 micrograms per cubic metre at 10 a.m. to 61 an hour later.
“The high levels are most likely from the pulp mill area – a phenomena called ‘fumigation’ where there is a spike in air pollution levels in mid-late morning when the nocturnal inversion begins to break down and pollution-rich air mixes downward to the surface,” he said in an email
shortly before noon.
“In a couple of hours the PM2.5 levels should go down again as fresh air mixes with the polluted air.”
B.C. Ministry of Environment air quality meteorologist Gail Roth confirmed Jackson’s assessment.
“Those types of events are common at this time of year,” she said. “That was just a particularly noticeable one because the visibility went down as well. But a lot of that visibility would’ve been from water vapour, although we did see the spike, like Peter had mentioned, in the PM 2.5.”
The haze had lifted by early afternoon and fell short of prompting the ministry to issue an air quality advisory.
Opinion
Scheer missing the target on guns
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer stuck to the script when it came to talking about guns in an interview with The Citizen during his visit to Prince George Monday. That means he didn’t answer the question.
When asked about how his party proposes to bridge the gap between rural and urban Canadians when it comes to guns – perhaps the single greatest issue which divides people living in cities from those living in small towns – Scheer talked about avoiding “symbolic gestures.” He stressed that “it’s easy to talk about banning guns but that’s lazy government.” If he were prime minister, he’d target criminals, a proposal he laid out a day later in more detail at an event in Delta.
A Conservative government would throw the book at gang members and repeat and violent offenders who used guns to commit crimes, sending them to jail for longer and making it harder for them to get out.
That’s actually lazy policy because it does nothing to prevent gun offences. Tough talk
about longer jail time is red meat for the conservative base but it doesn’t offer much for the residents of Toronto hoping not to see another mass shooting like the one in July that left two dead and 13 wounded. Gun owners want safety and strict licensing, too, Scheer added Monday. Except that’s not what people in Canadian cities largely want, based on various opinion polls. They want what Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer, many other members of Scheer’s caucus and diehard rural Conservatives won’t give up until it is snatched from their cold, dead hands: an outright ban on guns.
Since the vast majority of crimes involving firearms are committed with handguns while rifles are the weapon of choice on farms and in the bush, the solution seems obvious.
Ban owning handguns for everyone except competitive shooters and ban all rifles and modifications too powerful or unnecessary for game hunting.
Yet Scheer, a young MP from Regina, is perfectly positioned to offer an innovative Canadian solution on firearms, one that would appease hunters, gun enthusiasts and his rural supporters while also enticing police forces and urban residents.
Ban owning handguns for everyone except competitive shooters and ban all rifles and modifications too powerful or unnecessary for game hunting. Also ban any kind of formal national long gun registry, any sales restrictions to adults and all licensing and collection of personal data of gun owners.
Criminals want handguns because they’re small and easy to conceal, so take them off the market.
Hunters and rural residents want rifles and shotguns to put meat in the freezer and scare off predators from livestock, so let them have easy access to as many non-restricted firearms as they feel they need, without Big Brother standing over their shoulder. Both sides get what they want or both
YOUR LETTERS
Voice at the table
Typically, the winning political party gets a mere 40 per cent of voter endorsement yet receives the majority of the seats. This majority of the seats creates an unimpeded government agenda. Consequently, 60 per cent of people are unheard, creating a false majority mandate for the winning party. The safe riding I live in, Prince George-Mackenzie, always votes Liberal. Other ridings, say on the Island, may always vote NDP. Certainly when your vote never counts, election after election, voting is deeply discouraging. Why vote then?
Voter turnout is low from the non-white, younger than 50 demographic, I submit in part because their votes don’t contribute to the outcome. We really don’t want a society in which segments don’t participate. Eventually, lack of participation may lead to discontent. Do we want the existing first past the post voting system which discourages voting from so many sections of society?
Proportional representation means everyone is heard. All
votes matter. Thirty per cent of the votes result in 30 per cent of the seats. It ensures cooperative decision making. For example, decisions advancing resource development will likely incorporate better environmental and labour protection just to pass in Parliament. Cooperative decisions will more readily consider social programs and school policy reflecting balanced perspectives.
The mail-in referendum first asks if you favour proportional representation. In my mind there are strong reasons to vote yes because all voters will be represented in Parliament. Additionally the second (optional) question asks you to rank three proportional representation systems. All three provide both a proportional percentage of seats to their party and give regional representation.
Given the tight remaining timelines, ballots can be submitted to Service B.C.
Everyone deserves a voice at the table. I urge you to vote yes, in favour of proportional representation in the mail-in referendum.
Judy Thomas Prince George
What a zoo
It was election time at the zoo.
The Bear party won the most seats so they will be the government.
The Camels were second, so they are the opposition. The Hippo party, the Gators and the Coyotes, lacking of any sound policies, didn’t win any seats so they are the losers. So they thought, let’s get proportional representation. We can get the legislature and the electoral boundary commission. No one knows who or what these are so that would help to confuse the voter. We get to choose the form of government – the DMP or the MMP or RUP or the VOID group. This should help to eliminate the voter. We will smash the 87 cages and build new ones, some really big to accommodate the losers. If we run out, we can add new ones up to 95. So now it begs to ask the question, who is who in the zoo?
Wally Buryn Prince George
sides are unhappy with the compromise, depending on their flexibility. Either way, this is the kind of pragmatic, problem-solving small-c conservatism that most moderate Canadians would like to see but are far too rarely offered at election time. Scheer may feel he’s not in a position to offer such a bold suggestion, one that so blatantly strays from traditional Conservative thought, having won the leadership last year by such a narrow margin. On the contrary, he should be emboldened to seize hold of the agenda, especially now that Maxime Bernier has bolted from the party and taken a handful of hard-liners with him.
With a federal election less than a year away, Scheer needs some daring planks on his party’s platform, suggestions that put the Liberals and the NDP on the defensive, much as Justin Trudeau’s promises to legalize marijuana and physician-assisted dying did to Stephen Harper and Tom Mulcair.
Guns would be a good place to start.
That and actually answering the question put to him in an interview.
Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
Suspending judgment
We passed each other in the hallway a dozen times a day. We’d exchange pleasant digs with one another. I’d tease them about their vast responsibilities, they’d give me digs about my puny role in comparison, and cite dress code violations to boot.
Occasionally slightly more serious information would be exchanged – a heads-up about something on the agenda, or mundane gossip about what’s going on. My last exchange with one of them Monday afternoon was some easy-going speculation about the electoral reform referendum.
It was an enjoyable working relationship with the two most senior officials in the B.C. legislature. We wouldn’t call each other friends. But we are friendly acquaintances.
All of which is to say: I am pretty compromised when it comes to passing rigorously impartial judgments on the surreal developments of Tuesday morning, when both men were suspended and escorted out the door on literally a moment’s notice.
they be barred from access to the legislature network and physically barred from the buildings.
Speaker Darryl Plecas had summoned James and Lenz to his office just moments before and delivered the news face-to-face. James said later that the speaker appeared distressed.
In a place where 87 rambunctious politicians fling charges at each other with abandon, the two quietest people in the room end up doing perp walks.
Clerk of the legislature Craig James and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz are on leave and barred from setting foot anywhere in the legislative precinct, while the machinery of what looks to be a significant criminal investigation kicks into high gear. It’s as shocking to write that sentence as it was to watch it unfold live.
In a place where 87 rambunctious politicians fling charges at each other with abandon, the two quietest people in the room end up doing perp walks.
“Clerk” doesn’t do the job justice, as James functions as the CEO of a $70-million-a-year enterprise that the legislature represents. And Lenz is his right-hand man on matters of security, custody of documents and other aspects of keeping the show rolling.
There are lots of rules to live by, lots of opportunities to fall short and lots of people who would notice. But to watch the executive level of the legislature get decapitated in the space of a few seconds was a remarkable sight.
Government house leader Mike Farnworth, who had briefed Premier John Horgan the night before, interrupted a cabinet minister two sentences into the morning’s business. In a shaky voice he moved a motion that both men be put on administrative leave with pay, effective immediately and that “as a consequence of an outstanding investigation”
B.C. Liberal and Green house leaders were given the briefest of warnings that the motion was coming and that it needed approval. It came so suddenly it barely had time to register and was read without objection. There was a moment of collective astonishment throughout the buildings and then proceedings resumed. James emerged from his office later clutching some cycling gear accompanied by Victoria police and a special adviser to the speaker Alan Mullen. James spent several minutes answering mystified reporters’ questions.
The takeaway was that he was as mystified as everyone else. No clue it was coming. Shock. Numb. Getting a lawyer. He expressed a degree of resentment about the lack of an explanation for why they were being relieved of their duties. But he thanked his escorts for being respectful.
Some scant details emerged later. Victoria police were made aware of some initial allegations some time ago. The RCMP took over the case later. The force on Sept. 28 requested the assistant deputy attorney general appoint a special prosecutor. The assistant deputy on Oct. 1 decided that given the potential size and scope of the investigation, two of them were needed.
So they’ve been on the case for seven weeks before matters got to the point where the pair’s removal was deemed necessary.
Able replacements are on hand and the show must go on.
As someone who spent years watching and interacting with two senior officials who are no longer allowed anywhere near the place, there’s a tough lesson looming ahead. It’s about one of those principles that gets a lot more lip service than real observance – the need to suspend judgment until all the facts are in.
I’ve routinely failed that test in the past. Time to step up and try again.
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LES LEYNE
In the Fast Leyne
YOUR LETTERS
No accommodation was required
Re: No happy ending for disabled person at movie theatre, Citizen, Nov. 22
The issue is, did that disabled person require any accommodation when purchasing a movie theatre ticket?
That disabled person in fact did not require any accommodation.
Cineplex.com does allow everyone the opportunity to purchase movie theatre tickets online, which could have been utilized by that disabled person.
The decision by the Cineplex staff and management at that theatre was the correct one because the disabled person knew in advance that he could wait outside with no risk at all to his health and thus why he didn’t buy his movie theatre ticket before he arrived at the movie theatre?
The people in the line allowed you to have that fellow brought to the front of the line more as a courtesy than a valid social contract so to speak.
I hope this helps you understand better about accommodations for a disabled person and why just because that person is disabled doesn’t automatically mean that he/she is totally helpless.
I use a four-wheel walker and would be a tad uncomfortable if you tried the same action with me that you did with that fellow.
For your information and consideration, from a disabled disability rights advocate.
David Smith Edmonton
Love, compassion, respect
I find it sad, disheartening and worrisome that in this land of free speech, we are prohibited by non-sensible rules or risk of offending someone from speaking (or singing) our mind.
Now I am definitely against hateful or condescending speech but differing opinions are a catalyst for dialogue. We all come from different backgrounds and therefore have differing points of view and beliefs.
The incident involving the Salvation Army singing Christian songs at Pine Centre Mall on Friday tarnished the kettle campaign startup and definitely the image of Pine Centre. It is well known that the Salvation Army is a Christian organization that joyously celebrates what they do – helping others in need. Mary’s Boy Child and Go Tell it on the Mountain are traditional Christian songs sharing the real message of Christmas, which is the birth of Christ. These are beloved songs that we grew up with. They are filled with messages of love and joy. How can these lyrics be offensive? It would be truly hypocritical of the mall to expect the Salvation Army to be singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I feel sorry for whoever complained about the lyrics being offensive. To have a heart filled with anger and disrespect for others of different faiths or beliefs is truly sad. This world is already filled with so much hate, can we not, especially at this time of the year, treat others with love, compassion and respect? After all, that is what Christ’s birth is all about. Merry Christmas!
Vickie Brown Prince George
Reverse religious racism
Once again the beautiful Christmas season with its universal message of love, peace, hope and goodwill toward all men, preached by a Christian prophet named Jesus Christ, whose symbolic and celebrated date of birth is Dec. 25 and the reason for the season, is upon us.
Alas, many Christmas traditions in Canada and elsewhere that honour the birth of
Jesus Christ and His message of peace and love toward all men are apparently being suffocated, disrespected and treated with a callous disregard under the guise, metaphorically, of the dark side of a new religion or structure called diversity and inclusion and political correctness.
The recent and appalling debacle at the Pine Centre Mall in Prince George, where Christmas carols were clearly blacklisted, serves to illuminate diversity and inclusion and political correctness’s dark and draconian side, and its concerning and rapidly growing adverse effects on our cherished traditions.
To exclude Christmas carols, along with the indignity proffered to the Salvation Army via an edict by the Pine Centre Mall’s management not to play them in order it seems not to offend someone of a differing faith or those with a subjective perspective about Christmas traditions, or any other faux rationalization used by those “in charge” who now appear to be walking back their pathetic decision, is a backward approach to the concept of “inclusion for all.” But it’s only “inclusive for all” as long as some are excluded it seems – a hypocritical double-standard.
What’s transpired at the Pine Centre Mall is something far more insidious. It’s a loss of overall freedom for the many who enjoy and are comforted by the cherished tradition of listening to beautiful musical messages of peace, joy, hope and goodwill to all mankind, in order to cover up something that remains unspoken, ugly and cowardly but visible to those with eyes wide open.
What has transpired in Prince George, precipitated by unnamed complainants or decisions made by management, if not both, might aptly be called reverse religious racism at a maximum or snowflake stupid at a minimum, could it not?
Sandra Craig Kelowna
Shame on the mall
What would have happened to the kettle campaign at Pine Centre Mall had Neil Wilkinson and the Salvation Army stood up for their convictions?
Speculatively, the kettle campaign may not have been welcomed back.
The kettle campaign, I would guess, probably obtains the most donations from the Pine Centre location than any other site in Prince George and, knowing this, was forced to choose between helping those in need or standing up for convictions. They chose humanity; however this was not a decision they should have been forced to make and I feel for them. This, against a charity like the Salvation Army, is terribly wrong and the mall management team should be ashamed.
The article in the National Post from Nov. 19 stated Wilkinson was informed the next day that he should not have fretted, that the songs were OK. This statement was contrary to the original one made by Pine Centre via social media when they said “we did ask the gentlemen... to stop playing because... they were playing from their religious organization’s songbook.”
Apologies go a long way and the Pine Centre Mall management team is yet to offer one. Many patrons (but I’m sure not all) of Prince George, Vanderhoof, Quesnel, Mackenzie and Fort St. James (as well as the carollers who were embarrassed that day) will be waiting.
Jordan Stowe Prince George
Too many unanswered questions
How can we pull anchor on how we tra-
ditionally elect our leaders in the gathering storm of unanswered questions, confusion and controversy lurking in the uncharted waters of proportional representation? B.C. voters need and deserve answers to many questions. Will our riding boundaries change? Will we be part of a new rural B.C. super riding? How many MLAs will we have? Will he or she or they be from our area? Will we even have a hometown constituency office? How many more MLAs will there be? How much more will they cost B.C. taxpayers? Will they all be elected by the people or will some be secretly chosen by leaders of the minority groups or coalitions they represent? Will all our votes really count? What happens if someone “crosses the floor?” How will the premier be selected? What about cabinet? How will by-elections work? Is PR designed to give the concentrated population base of Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island the power to call the shots for the rest of B.C.? What about the rules for how fringe, special interest and extremist groups will form their coalitions? How would an unknown and untried B.C. PR model interact with present traditional local and federal government first-past-the-post models? Why was there no public consultation in determining the questions on the ballot? Since they are regulated by provincial acts, will B.C. local governments and school boards have to follow suit and adopt PR? How will big projects get done? How will anything get done?
And the latest question: has the integrity of the referendum been compromised by the premier’s apparent effort to manipulate the outcome by vetoing one of the three PR options midway through voting?
We’ve been told by the premier not to worry, to trust him as he’ll sort it all out after we’ve voted him a blank cheque to do whatever he has in mind.
I’m told I’m a fear monger. I fear this escapade will be deviously pulled off by a slim majority of votes cast by an even slimmer minority of eligible voters.
A fresh Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral
Reform is needed to openly consult with and listen to the people, and not the politicians, to propose a simple and singular question for the next election. And I know I’m not the only one voting not to pull anchor.
Ron Paull Quesnel
In with the new
Lately, the letters to the editor have been the most interesting ever in their dealing with all aspects of proportional representation and first past the post.
Todd Whitcombe’s and Nathan Giede’s columns have added much thought as well. Whitcombe states that no recent corruption comes to mind. Guess Bingogate of NDP fame slipped his mind, him being a former NDP candidate, as did the Jean Chretien-engineered sponsorship scandal. Or Stephen Harper’s suppression of free speech with regards to climate science. Or the Quebec construction scandal. Or John A. Macdonald’s CPR Scandal. Or Christy Clark using only verbal communication rather than emails.
For 150 years of first past the post, no government has made an effort to reduce abuses like publicly paid advertising by the incumbent governments, increasing numbers of MPs and MLAs and their support teams, and increasing debt loads to facilitate re-election plans. Trudeau and Trudeau Junior are good examples of that last point. That smaller parties via PR could bring about the needed changes was evident when Clark, about to lose the reins of government thanks to the WeaverHorgan alliance, backtracked on all her previous campaign promises and began to spout everything the Greens and NDP had campaigned on.
Let’s try something new to get voting levels back up and some trust in governments resurrected. Merry Christmas!
Alan Martin Prince George
With the big boys
Members
Cats expecting vast improvement
Cougars host Regina tonight, Saskatoon on Saturday
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff
tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
The Prince George Cougars had their weekend in Death Valley and a horrible time was had by all.
It was bad enough losing 5-1 and 7-3 on home ice to their closest geographical rivals in the Western Hockey League. But it was the way they lost that made it so much tougher for the Cougars and their fans to accept.
The Cats couldn’t control the puck, their shots missed the target, they took stupid penalties, their neutral-zone breakouts were ineffective, they had no forechecking pressure, their goaltending wasn’t sharp, and their defence-zone coverage was nonexistent.
Until their Blazer debacle the Cougars had all those elements working in their favour. They came in riding a three-game home winning streak, had won four of their last five games and were getting close to being one of the top defensive teams in the league. Now, after giving up 12 goals in their last two games, their goals-against average has ballooned to a mediocre 3.13 per game.
So what do the Cougars do for an encore this weekend when they host the Regina Pats tonight at CN Centre, followed by a Saturday date with the Saskatoon Blades? They could start by doing everything they didn’t do on the ice last weekend.
We’ve been playing good, we just have to score some goals now. That would be nice.
“We’re going to try everything in our power not to do those two games over,” said Cougars defenceman Ryan Schoettler. “Our practices last week were not the best, just tempowise we weren’t where we should be, so this week we really ramped it up. When we were on those (winning) streaks there, everyone was practicing hard. We do lots of battle drills in the corner like you get in a game.
— Ryan Schoettler
“Everyone has those nights when nothing goes right and it sucks that it was back-to-back games. We just hope the fans come back and we’ll try and do our best this weekend. As long as we stick to our systems we shouldn’t have a problem with any team this season. We need to get that forecheck going, it’s one of the keys to our game.” Schoettler, 19, has three goals and six assists in 19 games. As one of the older Cougars and one of the team’s most dependable puck carriers on the blueline he’s hoping to crank up his offensive tendencies.
“I’m not playing bad but I could probably put up more points,” said Schoettler. “We’ve been playing good, we just have to score some goals now. That would be nice. (The coaches) are alright with any of our dmen joining the rush and it’s nice to have that freedom. They have that trust in us to get back.”
Head coach Richard Matvichuk is not worried about his team regaining the edge it had while dominating opponents in the two weeks leading up to the Kamloops series.
“They make this thing 68 games, we’re not worried about how we played in two,” said Matvichuk. “Everybody was bad and we’re just going to move on from it.
“We still are (one of the best defensive teams). We’re not going to look at numbers, it’s how we feel. We’re built around our defence and we’re fine and we’re not worried one bit. We had a really good week of practice, we nailed a lot of details we wanted to do, including our d-zone
and our forecheck. We’ll go out and play our game (tonight) and win the hockey game and move on from there.”
The Cougars (9-10-1-2) are still clinging to third place in the B.C. Division, which means they’re still in a playoff position, tied in points with Kelowna and three ahead of the Blazers. The Pats (8-16-0-0) started their trip with a 3-2 win Tuesday in Kamloops, then lost 3-2 to Kelowna on Wednesday.
The Pats have leaned on their top line for production and Nick Henry, Jake Leschyshyn and Austin Pratt have delivered. Henry, a Colorado Avalanche draft pick, has 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points in 24 games and ranks seventh in the WHL scoring race. Leschyshyn, a second-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, is second in team scoring (16-16-32), while Pratt, a former Red Deer Rebel (10-12-22) is fourth on the team list. Defenceman Aaron Hyman, now in his fifth WHL season, is offensive-minded and has been rewarded for it with five goals and 23 points. After this weekend the Cougars hit the road for games Tuesday and Wednesday against Tri-City and Spokane, then will return to Prince George for a two-game set Dec. 1-2 against Victoria. Then it’s a return to the road for an 11-game , 6 1/2-week stretch which includes the Christmas break. They won’t be back for a home game until Jan. 11.
Kings-Chiefs form marquee matchup
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff
This is the weekend close watchers of the B.C. Hockey League have been anticipating. Tonight in Chilliwack the first-overall Chilliwack Chiefs, owners of a 20-8-0-0 record, take on the second-place overall Prince George Spruce Kings (17-7-1-1) in the first of a two-game series at Prospera Centre.
The Spruce Kings are just two points back of the Chiefs and have one game in hand over Chilliwack. It will be the first meeting of the two Mainland Division frontrunners since opening weekend, when the Spruce Kings beat the Chefs 5-1 and 2-1 at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
In those two games, the Kings outshot the Chiefs a combined 79-39 and Kings goalie Logan Neaton is expecting the Chiefs will be giving his team a lot more grief on the ice this weekend than the Kings had to face in September.
“That was the first weekend of the year so I think we’ll see a much different team and they’ve been playing really well as of late,” said Neaton, a 20-year-old native of Brighton, Mich.
“It will be a good test for us. We know where we’re at in the standings and we know where they are but we’re going to treat it just like every other game and prepare the same way and have the same habits going into it.” see ‘THEY’RE, page 8
SCHOETTLER
Eagles improve with age on provincial court
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
In the arid land where the Vernon Christian Royals make their home, low-lying vineyards and scrub brush are common features.
Tall trees are a rarity.
The Royals are an exception to the rule. There’s no team taller among the 16 entered in this week’s provincial single-A boys volleyball championship and the Royals took advantage of the long shadows they cast at the net on Day 1 of the three-day tournament Thursday at the College of New Caledonia.
They came in seeded No. 2 in the province and asserted their ranking in an afternoon match against the host Cedars Christian Eagles, winning in straight sets, 25-10, 2725 to improve to 2-0.
They might be short on experience at the senior level, with just two Grade 12 players, but physically the Royals are ideal specimens for volleyball with the likes of six-foot-seven middle blocker Devin Hofsink, six-foot-six power hitter Liam Remple, six-foot-five middle Josh Hall and six-foot-four power Noah Podolski. Even in the Vernon Christian back court none with the exception of libero Shaun Huizinga is shorter than six-foot-two.
“I’d say our height is one of our biggest advantages but probably more important we’ve got a lot of talent when it comes to hitting,” said Royals head coach Dwayne Remple, whose team opened with a win over Unity Christian of Chilliwack 25-9, 27-25.
“Our downfall is our defence because our guys are so big, they’re not used to having to dig balls. We seemed to have a bit of the blues in that second set but we’ll straighten that out.”
The long-reaching Royals made it difficult for the No. 9-ranked Eagles to hit over the block, but Cedars did a much better job finding the holes in the second set. Their passes were a lot more accurate and the offence sparked to life. A couple times it looked like the Eagles might push it to a third and decid-
ing set, but they were derailed by a couple of wayward spikes and a net serve. The match ended when a high set on the Eagles side of the court hit the basketball hoop hanging a bit too low from the ceiling.
“We played a lot better in the second set than we did in the first set but we sort of messed up at the end,” said Eagles Grade 11 power hitter Lucas Crosina. “It was pretty hard to hear but we talked better
T-wolves put undefeated mark on line
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff
6-0 to start the season. Actually it’s 14-0 if you include the preseason. Either way you slice it, the UNBC Timberwolves are off to an unprecedented start, and the rest of the country’s uni-
versity women’s basketball watchers are taking notice. This week the T-wolves were ranked 10th in the U Sports national poll – the first time in the team’s seven-year history in the university ranks they’ve made the list.
— see UNBC, page 9
in that match and we were pretty positive than in the first match, when we were pretty negative.”
The Eagles seemed to get better as the match went on, after a nervous opening in their morning match against No. 4 Bulkley Valley of Smithers. The Eagles lost that match 25-16, 26-24 and Crosina said they weren’t ready for it and didn’t come close to their own capabilities.
“We panicked,” he said. “Most of our school came to watch the game and I guess that just got us nervous because we played really poorly in that game.”
Eagles head coach Roland Rempel said his team appeared much more relaxed in the Vernon game and expects to see more of the same when they return to the court today at 8 a.m. against No. 6 St. Andrews of Victoria.
“I’m really happy with how the boys came out in the second (match),” said Rempel. “Vernon is a very good team, and we played them tough. For a young team we did quite well. They’re the tallest team here and they hit hard and hit big and I thought we blocked them well and shut down some hitters. That made them make some unforced errors and kept us in the game.”
“Hopefully we can carry over with the confidence and good play we showed in that last match and if we do that there should be some good matches.”
Prince George is home to four of the top 12 double-A teams in B.C. Having that kind of competition close by has helped speed the development of a young Eagles squad that has three Grade 12s (Aiden Ceaser, Craig Hein, Joel Nelson), four Grade 11s (Crosina, Joshua Leboe, Karl Kibonge, Caleb Milton) and one Grade 10 player (Cole Willmann).
“We love playing Duchess, D.P. Todd, Kelly Road and College Heights,” said Rempel. “When we play those teams they always make us a little better because they’re usually a little taller, a little deeper with skill, so us playing them all year is definitely to our benefit. We did give them some tough matches when we saw them in tournament play.”
Cedars also plays No. 11 Fernie at 11:30 a.m. today and will wrap up round-robin play against No. 8 Unity Christian starting at 4:10 p.m.
Centennial Christian of Terrace is ranked No. 1. The Seahawks won their opener over Chetwynd 25-16, 25-11.
Playoffs start Saturday at 8 a.m. with semifinals at 9:10 a.m. The bronze medal match is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday followed by the championship match at 6.
‘They’re an explosive group’
— from page 7
Both teams are coming off Wednesday wins on home ice. Chilliwack skated to a 2-1 victory over the Langley Rivermen while the Kings rebounded from a 1-0 deficit to record their second 4-1 victory of the season over the Trail Smoke Eaters.
“After giving up the first one of the game it really takes a lot of character to bounce back and get the next two and those were big goals for us going into the third,” said Neaton. “I think that goes with how we practice and how we train every day. We always have legs down the stretch where other teams might not always and I think we’re good at handling adversity.”
The Spruce Kings are the only BCHL team to have two wins against Chilliwack this season.
“They’ve been pretty consistent since then – a really good forward group and I think their forwards work well with each other,” said Spruce Kings head coach Adam Maglio.
“They’re an explosive group, they finish a lot of pucks, and I’ve seen them come back late in games from two- or three-goal deficits, so we have to play a full 60 against them.
“It’s nice playing them back-to-back. It’s kind of like a playoff series where you’re going on the road for two against them and we’ve got to be ready. At this time of year it’s going to be as close to a playoff-type game as you can get and we have to rise to the battle and compete out there.”
As good as their 10-4-0-0 home record is, the Kings have also been road warriors, a league-best 8-3-1-1 away from home. They came close to winning all three last weekend on their Island Division tour, settling for five of a possible six points.
“We’ve done a good job on the road, we have to play a bit different, just make sure we’re managing the puck well and especially against Chilliwack, we have to be good with the puck,” said Maglio.
The Chiefs have a vastly different roster from last year’s team that won the RBC Cup national junior A championship as hosts, after losing a seven-game opening-round series to the Spruce Kings. Fourteen of their
everyday players, including defenceman Colton Kitchen of Prince George, are BCHL rookies. Nine of the team’s top 12 in scoring weren’t there last season.
One of those new recruits, Kevin Wall, a New York native who just signed an NCAA commitment with Penn State, is leading the BCHL scoring race with 21 goals and 41 points in 28 games.
Abbotsford native Harrison Blaisdell has been on a hot streak lately with seven goals and nine assists in his last 10 games. Blaisdell ranks second in team scoring with 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points (fifth in the BCHL).
Chiefs forward Matt Holmes (Brown University), is also among the top 14 pointgetters in the BCHL with 31 points, including 11 goals. Holmes is two points ahead of Spruce Kings scoring leader Ben Brar, who has 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points in 27 games.
Both teams have been getting solid goaltending. Neaton’s 1.93 goals-against average over 20 games leads the BCHL and his .913 save percentage ranks sixth. For the Chiefs, Mathieu Caron sports a 2.71 average (seventh in BCHL) through 20 games and his .914 save percentage is fifth in the league.
“I’m definitely seeing not much rubber a game and the rubber that I am seeing is from outside,” said Neaton. “Our D do a great job of collapsing the net, keeping things to the outside and letting me see pucks and I think they’ve been doing a phenomenal job in front of me and that’s increased my play.”
LOOSE PUCKS: Former Spruce Kings forwards Kyle Johnson and Blake Hayward will be playing this weekend in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the Friendship Four NCAA tournament, which starts today. Johnson skates for the Yale University Bulldogs, while Hayward plays for the Union College Dutchmen. The Boston University Terriers and University of Connecticut Huskies are the other teams involved in the two-day tournament. Hayward and Johnson were teammates last year in the Spruce Kings’ run to the BCHL final.
Injured Osborne-Paradis won’t race Lake Louise downhill
Citizen news service
LAKE LOUISE, Alta. — Switzerland’s Beat
Feuz posted the fastest time in Thursday’s training while the Canadian team was suddenly bereft of two veterans ahead of Saturday’s World Cup men’s downhill.
Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., announced his retirement while Alpine Canada said Manny Osborne-Paradis of North Vancouver is out indefinitely with broken bones in his leg. Feuz, 29, won the men’s downhill last year in Lake Louise.
His time Thursday was one minute 45.90 seconds on the Lake Louise course. Dominik Paris of Italy was second 1.17 seconds back and Austria’s Johannes Kroell was third 1.32 seconds behind. Ben Thomsen of Invermere was the top Canadian in 41st.
A third training run is scheduled for today ahead of the downhill and Sunday’s super-G. The 37-year-old Guay is the most decorated male in Canadian ski racing history with 25 World Cup medals and a pair of world championship gold. After finishing 69th in the first training run Wednesday, Guay decided to put an early end to what would have been his final season on the World Cup circuit. Osborne-Paradis, 34, crashed in training Wednesday and was taken to Calgary for surgery on a broken fibula and tibia Thursday. He has won super-G gold (2009) and a pair of downhill silver (2006, 2014) at Lake Louise during his career. Osborne-Paradis also won world championship bronze in super-G in 2017. Thomsen, 31, and 28-year-old Dustin Cook now lead the Canadian men’s speed team heading into the 2018-19 season.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS LEBOE
Josh Leboe of the Cedars Christian School Eagles goes up for an attempted kill shot against Bulkley Valley at the provincial single-A boys volleyball championship at the College of New Caledonia on Thursday.
Saints stay hot Mitchell CFL’s best once again
Dan RALPH Citizen news service
EDMONTON — Bo Levi Mitchell has his second CFL outstanding player award.
The Calgary Stampeders quarterback captured the honour Thursday night at the CFL’s awards banquet.
Voting was conducted by members of the Football Reporters of Canada as well as the nine CFL head coaches. A total of 60 voters participated.
It’s the second outstanding player honour for Mitchell, who also won it in 2016. Mitchell, 28, had a CFL-high – and careerbest – 35 touchdown passes this season in leading Calgary to the league’s best regularseason record (13-5).
The native of Katy, Tex., threw for 5,124 yards, recorded 42 completions of 30-plus yards and had a TD-to-interception ratio of 2.5, the last two being tops in the CFL.
Mitchell received 47 first-place votes to become the ninth multiple MOP winner in CFL history. He’s the second-youngest to accomplish the feat as Jackie Parker won his second in 1958 at age 26.
Mitchell will lead Calgary into the Grey Cup on Sunday against the Ottawa Redblacks. It’s the Stampeders’ third straight championship appearance but they lost both previous times. Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, the CFL’s second-leading passer with 5,209 yards, was the East’s finalist.
Linebacker Adam Bighill of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was named the top defensive player. The five-foot-10, 230-pound Bighill received 57 first-place votes for his second honour after winning the award in 2015 with the B.C. Lions. Bighill, of Montesano, Wash., had 105 tackles, four sacks two interceptions and a CFL-high four forced fumbles in his first season with Winnipeg.
Bighill anchored a defence that finished tied for first in the league with 49 takeaways, second in points allowed (23.3 per game) and tied for the second-fewest yards allowed per play (6.0). The Bombers also ended the season with a turnover ratio of plus-13.
Bighill becomes the fifth Bomber to win the award and first since Jovan Johnson in 2011. He’s also the ninth player to claim multiple honours.
Hamilton linebacker Larry Dean, who also recorded 105 tackles, was the finalist. The Tiger-Cats allowed the fewest offensive yards (334.3 per game) and rushing yards (110.6) in the East Division.
Ottawa players captured three honours, including two for kicker Lewis Ward (rookie, special teams). Slotback Brad Sinopoli was named the top Canadian.
Ward made 51-of-52 field goals (leaguerecord 98.1 per cent), including a pro footballrecord 48 straight that will carry over into
2019. The native of Kingston, Ont., secured 50 first-place votes in rookie balloting and 43 for the special-teams honour.
Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert was the rookie finalist while B.C. Lions kicker Ty Long was the special-teams runner-up.
Sinopoli, of Peterborough, Ont., earned his second top Canadian award, first winning in 2015. The Redblacks’ star had 116 catches – a single-season record for a Canadian – for 1,376 receiving yards with four TDs in helping Ottawa finish atop the East Division with an 11-7 record.
Sinopoli, who received 32 first-place votes, has broken the 1,000-yard plateau the last four straight seasons. He had a CFL-best 486 yards after the catch this year.
Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris, last year’s winner and the CFL’s top rusher for a second straight season, was the finalist.
Bombers tackle Stanley Bryant captured the top lineman award for the second consecu-
tive year. He registered 44 first-place votes to become the first multiple winner since Montreal’s Scott Flory (2008-09).
The six-foot-five, 311-pound Bryant led another solid season for Winnipeg’s offensive line. Not only did Harris run for a league-high 1,390 yards but Bombers scored a CFL-best 53 offensive touchdowns and allowed 36 sacks, tied for third-fewest in the league.
Hamilton guard Brandon Revenberg was the finalist.
Chris Jones of the Saskatchewan Roughriders was named the CFL’s coach of the year. He received 41 first-place votes.
Wally Buono, who retired as B.C. Lions head coach at season’s end, was awarded the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership award.
Buono, 68, capped a 46-year career as a player, coach, GM and league governor. The Canadian Football Hall of Famer and member of the Order of Canada captured a record 282 regular-season wins and won seven Grey Cups, including five as a coach.
UNBC has most potent offence in Canada West
— from page 8
“Of course it’s exciting, but we shouldn’t care too much about that,” T-wolves guard Lucy Guan told UNBC sports information officer Rich Abney. “We want to keep working. There are a bunch of adjustments to our offence, we need to continue working on our defence and our team chemistry.”
The Canada West conference leaders will take that perfect record onto the court with them tonight in Abbotsford, where they face the Fraser Valley Cascades (3-5) in the first of a two-game weekend set. The T-wolves are av-
eraging a league-high 87.7 points and have given up an average 66 points per game, second-stingiest in the league. “UFV has some good shooters so we will need to close out on that,” said Guan. “They also have a couple bigs who are very good on the boards so we will need to make sure we box out. We have been working on playing as a team. Last game we played well defensively, so we hope to continue that.”
The UNBC men are also in action tonight and Saturday on the same court against the Cascades.
Like the women, they are coming off a pair of wins last weekend at the Northern Sport Centre against the Trinity Western University Spartans which improved their re-
cord to 5-1 – their best-ever start.
The T-wolves are third in Canada West, having played two fewer games than the first-place Calgary Dinos (8-0) and second-place UBC Thunderbrds (7-1).
“I think we are pretty happy with our start to the season,” said UNBC guard Tyrell Laing. “We had one slip-up there, but we are looking to continue the momentum we have built over the first six games into this weekend against UFV.” The Cascades (4-4) are among three teams tied for ninth in the conference and Laing, now in his third season, expects the winning
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew
Brees threw four touchdown passes to inexperienced receivers and the New Orleans Saints won their 10th straight game Thursday night with a 31-17 victory over Atlanta that eliminated the Falcons from contention in the NFC South.
Tommylee Lewis and Austin Carr each caught their second career touchdown pass, and rookie tight end Dan Arnold grabbed his first, as did rookie receiver Keith Kirkwood. All four entered the NFL as undrafted free agents within the past three years and had combined for zero touchdowns this season before Carr caught the first of his career last Sunday.
“It says a lot about them. It says a lot about taking advantage of the opportunity, and stepping up when we need it,” Brees said of his latest touchdown targets. “It’s fun to watch them grow and gain confidence. We’re building chemistry, which typically takes time. But they’ve been thrust into this role.”
Meanwhile, the Falcons (4-7) lost three fumbles inside the Saints 20 – something no team facing streaking New Orleans (10-1) can afford this season.
“The defence played tremendous today against a really explosive offence,” Brees said. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was stripped by safety Marcus Williams on a third-and-two from the Saints three and Williams recovered to end Atlanta’s opening drive. Julio Jones was stripped by linebacker Alex Anzalone after a catch on the New Orleans 17, and safety Vonn Bell recovered in the final minute of the second quarter to preserve a 17-3 lead going into halftime. New Orleans’ defence, which had a season-high six sacks, continued to come up with big plays in the second half. Anzalone broke up a fourth-down pass in the third quarter and linebacker A.J. Klein intercepted a pass tipped by defensive tackle Tyeler Davison in the fourth.
The interception gave the Saints possession on the Atlanta 22, setting up Kirkwood’s diving fouryard TD catch.
Just for good measure, Marshon Lattimore stripped Calvin Ridley on the Saints one after a 29-yard completion that looked as though it would end with a touchdown with about four minutes to go. Defensive back Eli Apple recovered that one.
to continue in both games.
“This is the deepest team I have ever played on,” he said. “Scoring can come from multiple positions. But more than the scoring is our defensive depth. This is the best defensive team I have played on in my time here. We have a lot of athletes who want to play defence.
“I think we have another gear. There hasn’t yet been a game where we are all clicking at the same time. We have a lot of potential for that to happen soon, because it hasn’t happened yet, and I am looking forward to that.”
CP PHOTO
Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell holds the Most Outstanding Player award during the Shaw CFL Awards in Edmonton on Thursday night.
Swift’s $300M love song a good buy
Alex WEBB Citizen news service
There’s little better way for Vivendi’s Universal Music Group to burnish its reputation ahead of a prospective stake sale than by signing up Taylor Swift.
The French parent is preparing for the disposal of up to half of the world’s biggest music label next year. Swift’s announcement on her Tumblr account that she has signed with UMG is a nice boost for the bankers running the sale process. Her post was scant on details – such as the length and value of the deal – bar one curious element. Vivendi still owns a stake of about four per cent in Spotify Technology, the music streaming giant. It has promised the pop star that it will share the proceeds of any future sale of that holding with the artists on its labels. Warner Music Group and Sony Corp., the two biggest record companies after UMG, have done similar. Swift has long been an agitator for better revenue-sharing from streaming. Despite the precedents, this seems an uncharacteristically generous offer from Vincent Bollore, the French billionaire who controls Vivendi. While sharing the gains might look great from the artists’ perspective, it’s less attractive for UMG’s owners. When Sony sold $768 mil-
lion worth of Spotify shares at the time of the latter’s listing in April, it passed on about a third of the proceeds to artists and labels, retaining some $504 million. Vivendi’s stake is estimated to be worth about $900 million currently, so a similar ratio would mean handing $300 million to the musicians.
If Swift makes – for argument’s sake – three albums with UMG, the company might optimistically expect a cumulative $75 million earnings boost. So at first glance this looks like a pretty expensive promise to get the superstar on its roster. However, the French conglomerate made no commitment to Swift on when it would reduce the stake. Indeed, Vivendi CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine indicated back in May that he had no plans to sell the shares any time soon.
Besides, the company said at the same time that it expected a UMG valuation in excess of $28 billion. That makes it pretty easy to swallow a potential $300 million hit on the value of its Spotify stake because of the promise to Swift. It’s about 1.1 percent of UMG’s hoped-for value. Being able to show potential stake-buyers that you’ve signed one of the world’s 10 best-selling artists should easily outweigh that.
Vancouver-born animator helped Ralph break the internet
VANCOUVER — Animating Ralph Breaks the Internet not only entailed summoning bold imagination to bring the World Wide Web to life – it also meant tapping into fond memories to recreate beloved Disney characters.
The film includes a hilarious sequence featuring classic princesses, and Vancouver-born animator Benson Shum got to meet the actress who voices Mulan in order to draw his favourite cartoon warrior.
“There was a lot of pressure to make that character come to life,” said Shum, but he added meeting Ming-Na Wen helped.
“My supervisor asked if I wanted to go down to the recording booth to watch her record the lines I was going to animate. I was like, ‘Yes.’ I bolted downstairs to the recording room... She was just so kind.”
The movie, a sequel to 2012 hit Wreck-It Ralph, follows the title character voiced by John C. Reilly as he and his best friend Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) venture into the internet. The web is a chaotic, colourful city filled with incessant pop-up ads and skyscrapers bearing brand names, and the duo meet familiar characters and new friends.
In the standout princess sequence, Vanellope stumbles upon a gathering of iconic female characters including Mulan, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Ariel. The group is skeptical that hoodie-clad Vanellope could be a princess, and the scene cleverly sends up the gender dynamics of Disney films past.
Watching Wen deliver her lines informed how Shum drew Mulan, a rare non-princess in the Disney canon. Animators try to figure out what voice actors are thinking, he said.
“What is going through their mind while they’re saying this line? We try to animate that, and I think that’s what gives the character a lot of layers and makes them feel like they’re breathing and real.”
Shum grew up in east Vancouver but now lives in sunny southern California as an animator for Walt
Disney Animation Studios. His journey to his dream job took time: he wasn’t accepted, initially, to his chosen college program, and his career bounced back and forth between animation and live-action visual effects.
His advice to those hoping to break into the industry is simple: just keep drawing.
“I think that’s still a very important thing to do, even though a lot of stuff we do now is on the computer,” he said. “Drawing will teach you about design, about how to pose a character and see things three-dimensionally.”
Though Shum left Vancouver, there’s no shortage of opportunities in the city. It has come into its own as a graphics hotspot with about 60 animation and visual effects studios.
“Growing up, the industry wasn’t really here. We had a few studios,” he said, speaking in a Vancouver hotel during a recent visit.
“I love to see that my hometown is growing... There are a lot of amazing artists here.”
His other credits at the studio include the original Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen and the upcoming and highly anticipated Frozen 2. Working on the Frozen franchise has been exciting because he grew up watching similar animated musicals, he said.
Some 70 animators worked on Ralph Breaks the Internet. Shum was among six or seven who created a sequence in which Ralph plays an iPad game that involves swiping left and right to feed pancakes to a bunny and milkshakes to a cat.
In typical Ralph style, he gets over-excited and stuffs the bunny with too many pancakes, with comically disastrous results.
A two-second shot in that sequence took two weeks to animate, so the work can be painstaking. But the finished product makes it all worthwhile, Shum said.
“When you see the character come to life, I think that really makes you excited again. It’s no longer a static object,” he said. “That always energizes you again to keep going.”
Several injured in concert brawl
Adina BRESGE Citizen news service
TORONTO — One person is being treated for life-threatening stab wounds and several others are injured following a series of brawls at a Pusha T concert in Toronto, say police.
Toronto Police spokesman Const. David Hopkinson said officers responded to several alleged assaults at the Danforth Music Hall during Pusha T’s performance on Tuesday evening after someone rushed the stage, setting off a mass brawl.
The stage was cleared, he said, and several people suffered minor injuries as they tried to escape the melee, while other fights waged on concurrently.
A person who was stabbed during the incident went to hospital on his own, said Hopkinson. Two others were treated in hospital
for injuries not believed to be life-threatening, he said, and three more declined to receive any medical treatment for their injuries.
Hopkinson said progress has been made in the investigation, but he was not aware of any arrests as of Wednesday afternoon. Emergency workers were already on standby at the venue when the violence erupted at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, a safety measure he said is common at Toronto concerts.
The venue, the Danforth Music Hall, said on Twitter Wednesday evening that it is “fully cooperating” with the Toronto police investigation and said it wouldn’t be commenting further. The event’s promoter did not respond to a request for comment.
Concert-goer Adde Mohamed said he sensed that security was on high alert as the crowd waited for
Pusha T to take the stage in rapper rival Drake’s home turf.
“You would have expected something to happen with Pusha T in Toronto,” said Mohamed. “People like to say that Toronto is Drake’s city. They already had their beef.”
And soon enough, it was raining beer.
A video shows Pusha T trying to dodge the deluge and debris being hurled by about 15 agitators, Mohamed estimated. And positioned front-and-centre, he was right in the splash zone.
As Pusha T was whisked backstage, Bhatt said several concertgoers breached the metal railings, leapt on stage and “knocked the hell out of” each other.
Security personnel ushered the sea of brawlers out of the venue, some still throwing punches as they were evacuated to boos from the crowd.
Laura KANE Citizen news service
DISNEY VIA AP
This image released by Disney shows characters, Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, center left, and Vanellope von Schweetz, voiced by Sarah Silverman in a scene from Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Federal byelection call expected next year
Joan BRYDEN Citizen news service
OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh learned he’ll get his chance in early February to win a British Columbia seat in the House of Commons – just as a friendlier riding on his home turf of Brampton, Ont., became available.
Liberal Raj Grewal announced Thursday that he is resigning as MP for Brampton East for unspecified “personal and medical reasons.” Party whip Mark Holland said Grewal’s resignation is effective immediately.
The surprise news dropped just as Liberal insiders were confirming that early in the new year Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will call three byelections – including in Burnaby South, where Singh has already been nominated to run – for early February.
Brampton East could now very well be added to the roster.
Trudeau could also schedule one more byelection in B.C. for the same date. A sixth riding, due to be vacated on Jan. 22 by Montreal Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio, is likely to remain without representation until the general election scheduled for next October.
When Singh was first chosen as NDP leader last fall, he said he’d
like to run federally in Brampton East, the riding he had represented for six years in the Ontario legislature and which is now represented by his brother, Gurratan.
He initially intended to wait until the general election to seek a Commons seat but came under intense pressure to get into the House sooner after getting off to shaky start as leader. He announced in August that he would run in Burnaby South, where NDP MP Kennedy Stewart had announced his intention to resign and run for mayor of Vancouver. Singh was nominated as the NDP candidate for Burnaby South in mid-September, for whenever the byelection comes.
Singh faces a much stiffer fight in the B.C. riding, where Stewart took just 547 more votes than the Liberal contender in 2015, than he would in his hometown of Brampton. Indeed, Liberals are privately concerned that Singh could lose the Burnaby South byelection, prompting the NDP to dump him and choose a potentially more appealing leader before next fall’s general election.
After weeks of debate in Trudeau’s inner circle, insiders say the prime minister has decided the Liberals will run a candidate against Singh, rather than stand-
ing aside to give him a better shot. They say the decision is based on the wishes of grassroots Liberals in B.C., who have been nearly unanimous in wanting to put up a fight in Burnaby South.
A spokesperson for Singh did not immediately respond to a question about whether the leader might consider giving up on Burnaby South and running in Brampton East instead.
Switching would not be without consequences for Singh, who has gone out of his way to assure Burnaby voters that he’s not a political tourist. He’s said he and his wife intend to live in the riding and that he’ll run there in the general election as well.
“I am all in on Burnaby,” he said in August.
Trudeau was criticized last month when he called one byelection in the eastern Ontario riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes for Dec. 3, while leaving Burnaby South, the Montreal riding of Outremont and the Ontario riding of York-Simcoe vacant.
At the time, Trudeau argued that the other three had only recently been vacated, whereas LeedsGrenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes had been without an MP for almost six months.
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Student designed B.C. referendum option
Amy SMART Citizen news service
VANCOUVER — The first time he was old enough to vote in an election, Sean Graham says he realized the system was flawed.
His hometown riding in northern Alberta was a secure seat for a party that he didn’t support, so voting for anyone else under the first-past-the-post system felt like a wasted ballot.
“That to me was a significant problem. Regardless of where someone lives, their vote should matter,” Graham said from Edmonton.
Only a few years later as an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta, Graham crafted a pitch for a new electoral system.
That model is now being considered by voters in British Columbia, where a provincewide referendum on electoral reform is underway.
“It is the first Canadian-developed proportional representation system to be put to a provincewide vote, so I’m very proud to have my work have that status. Certainly it has gained traction more than I thought, though I was hopeful because I do think it addresses the concerns quite well,” he said.
The first question on the ballot asks voters to choose between the existing first-past-the-post voting system and proportional representation, a form of voting where the parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes that are cast for them.
The second question asks voters to rank three forms of proportional representation: Rural-urban proportional, mixed member proportional and Graham’s model, dual member proportional.
Elections BC is accepting ballots by mail or in person until Nov. 30.
Graham said he developed the model as a grant-funded independent research project that was supervised by a professor, while he was pursuing double majors in political science and physics.
“I thought it would be helpful to come up with a system that
It is the first Canadiandeveloped proportional representation system to be put to a province-wide vote, so I’m very proud to have my work have that status.
— Sean Graham
not only addressed the issue of rural inclusion better but also retained more of what people like about first-past-the-post,” he said.
This isn’t the first time a province is considering it.
When the government of Prince Edward Island put out a white paper looking for proportional representation proposals, Graham said he realized dualmember proportional met each of its requirements and submitted it.
It was one of five options on the ballot in a non-binding plebiscite on electoral reform in that province in 2016, however, mixed-member proportional won the most votes.
Another referendum question asking P.E.I. voters to decide between first-past-the-post and mixed member proportional is expected to be on the ballot in the next general election.
Graham said he submitted the model to the B.C. government through a similar process.
In dual member proportional, most electoral districts are combined with a neighbouring district and have two representatives in the legislature, although large rural districts continue to have one member.
In two-member districts, a voter casts one vote for one candidate or a pair of candidates. The first seat in a district is won by the candidate with the most votes, while the second goes to the parties so that each party’s share of seats roughly matches its share of the popular vote.
Liberals question Speaker’s actions in legislature probe
Dirk MEISSNER Citizen news service
VICTORIA — Party house leaders at the British Columbia legislature rejected a plan by the Speaker to appoint his special adviser to replace the sergeant-at-arms on an acting basis before legislators voted this week to suspend the official holding the job along with the clerk of the house.
House leaders for the New Democrats, Liberals and Greens said Thursday they met with Speaker Darryl Plecas on Monday about placing sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz and Clerk Craig James on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Plecas proposed naming his special adviser, Alan Mullen, as acting sergeant-atarms at the meeting.
“The suggestion was made. It was rejected,” said NDP house leader Mike Farnworth. “Everybody accepted it and we moved on.”
The house voted unanimously Tuesday to place Lenz and James on leave with pay.
Liberal house leader Mary Polak released a sworn affidavit Thursday that said Plecas told house leaders on Monday that he wanted to make the appointment involv-
ing Mullen.
“Our response was ‘No,’” Polak said at a news conference. “It’s not appropriate.”
Green house leader Sonia Furstenau said Polak’s affidavit about the Speaker’s adviser is accurate.
Later Thursday a familiar figure in B.C. politics and legal circles was named as a second adviser to Plecas. Wally Oppal, a former attorney general and retired judge, has been appointed to work with Plecas, Mullen said at a brief news conference.
“We could not be more honoured and pleased that justice Oppal has agreed to come on as a second special adviser and we look forward to meeting with him tomorrow morning,” said Mullen, who did not take further questions.
Plecas said earlier Thursday he would hold a news conference, but Mullen then appeared on the Speaker’s behalf.
Oppal was appointed B.C. attorney general in 2005 and also served as minister responsible for multiculturalism until 2009. He served at commissioner for the 2012 Missing Women Commission of Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Oppal could not be reached for comment.
Mullen has been the spokesman for the Speaker since Tuesday’s legislature vote on Lenz and James. After the vote, Mullen said the RCMP has launched a criminal investigation, but neither the RCMP nor the B.C. Prosecution Service will confirm the nature of the police probe or say who they are investigating. No details have been released on any allegations that might be the focus of the investigation.
As he was leaving the legislature on Tuesday, James said he did not know why he was placed on administrative leave. Attempts to reach Lenz and James for comment have not been successful since then.
Mullen said Wednesday he was hired in January by Plecas to work on issues of concern, which included issues related to the legislature investigation. He said information was provided to the RCMP in August.
Mullen said he and Plecas know each other professionally and are friends after working together at federal prisons in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. Plecas is a criminologist and served as a judge on internal
prison issues at Kent Institution.
Plecas was elected as a Liberal member of the legislature but after the May 2017 election he sat as an Independent and became Speaker as the NDP worked to form a minority government with the backing of the Green party. He was subsequently removed from the Liberal party.
Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said there are questions about Mullen’s qualifications to lead an investigation and the public is entitled to know the truth about events of this week.
“It’s a matter of getting the facts on the table,” he said. “This is about accountability.”
Farnworth said he has confidence in Plecas.
Asked when he knew of Mullen’s role in the investigation, Farnworth replied: “I can’t comment on any aspect other than there’s an investigation that’s underway. I’m not going to comment based on the advice I’ve received.”
Two special prosecutors were appointed Oct. 1 to help the RCMP in their investigation, but their appointments weren’t made public until after the legislature voted to suspend Lenz and James on Tuesday.
Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh thanks people following a press conference in Toronto on Thursday. Singh will be seeking election in Burnaby South during a byelection next year.
Mara Mamic
It is with heavy hearts that we, the family of Mara Mamic, announce her passing as she went to be with the Lord on November 20, 2018 at the age of 90. She was loved by all and will be greatly missed.
Very proud of her large and expanding family she will be lovingly remembered by them all including her daughter Ljubica (Nick) and sons Matt, Branko (Lynn), Zarko (Drazena) Tony (Helen), Steve (Deborah), Tom, and 19 grandchildren Troy, Brian, Shane, Joe, Derek, Tanya, Tea, Danielle, Camron, Joshua, Charissa, Xzara, Jared, Jacob, Emmara, Sasha, Mia, Aleisha, Miles, and her 17 great grandchildren. The world won’t be the same without you Baba. Funeral mass will be held on Saturday November 24 at 1:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 887 Patricia Blvd. Internment to follow in the Prince George Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Prince George Rotary Hospice House.
LAPP CLARENCE May 28, 1930November 14, 2018
Our wonderful father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to many passed away suddenly November 14, 2018. Born in Watrous, SK on May 28, 1930, Clarence arrived in Penny, BC in 1947. A few years later he met the love of his life, Charlotte, and they lived in PG for over 60 years. Clarence is survived by his 6 children, Brenda (Pat), Harry (Colleen), Beverley (Ron), Richard (Robyn), Helen, and Daniel. His 14 grandchildren, Alec (Jenny), Donna (Matt), Lyle (Celia), Diana (Dale), Ben (Lindsay), Doug (Jenny), Annika, Heather Anna (Kyle), Jordan (Mandy), Margaret, Luke, Mary Belle, Soley, Waylon and his 5 great grandchildren, Joey, Jacob, Jack, Owen and Connor. Also his sister Fern of PG. Predeceased by his wife Charlotte, parents William and Mary Agnes, sisters Hazel, Ona and brother Delmar. Clarence had a long career in the logging industry and he and his wife Charlotte were life-long members of The BC Old-Time Fiddlers Association. He enjoyed visiting and playing cards with family and friends and could often be found at the park listening to music or reading his book. He loved going to Wendy’s six days a week for lunch. A celebration of Clarence’s life will be held at a future date.
Stanley Peter Aksenchuk September 19, 1940November 16, 2018
After sudden complications following surgery in Kelowna on November 8th, Stan made his final journey home to be with the Lord. Stans’ wife and nephew (Gene) were by his side. Stan is survived by his wife, Marlene, sons, Darren and David, stepsons, Trevor and Matthew, daughter-in-laws, Alex and Tania, grandchildren Chanel, Hannah, and Aedan, plus many nephews and nieces. Brothers, Walter (Mary), Joe (Rose), Lawrence (Diane), and sister, Lucy, live in Edmonton and prayed continually for Stan as they were unable to be present. Working in his real estate and appraisal businesses were a passion. It was a challenge for him to finally retire at the age of 76. He enjoyed an Alaskan cruise, a trip to Cuba, plus several smaller vacations by car post retirement.
Stan loved his sports and spent his years playing baseball, hockey, and golf. He often went to watch the Cougars and the Spruce Kings when they played in town. Summers were spent fishing, boating, canoeing, camping and sitting around the fire pit with a group of friends (a favourite pastime). Friday nights were celebrated almost ritually socializing with friends at a local meeting place and closing out the evening at the casino. He definitely lived life to the fullest. An obituary can never begin to truly describe Stan’s many wonderful attributes and innumerable accomplishments in life. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all those who were blessed to have him in their life. Date to be determined for his Celebration of Life.
MANUEL MELO BOTELHO
October 15, 1938November 19, 2018
It is with great sadness and a devastating sense of loss that we share the passing of our beloved dad, husband and grandfather. His love of family, quick wit, twinkling smile and love of storytelling will live in our hearts forever. Manuel is survived by his wife of 52 years Luisa, sister Maria (Luis), son Gil (Tasha), daughter Gina and his beloved grandchildren, Johnathan, Matthew and Isabella as well as nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Joao and Beatriz and brother-in-law Luis. Manuel was born in Agua Retorta on the island of Sao Miguel and immigrated to Canada in 1968. He worked for Northwood until his retirement in 1998. He spent his retirement In his garden, his shed and wine cellar, but mostly with his beloved grandchildren. Our family would like to thank everyone for their support including the staff at UHNBC and Hospice as well Dr. Bartell and Dr. Mader. A prayer service for Manuel will be held on Sunday, November 25th, 2018 at 7:00 pm at Sacred Heart Cathedral with the Funeral Mass on Monday November 26th at 10:00am at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Deus Lhe Deia o Eterno Descanco
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to BC Cancer Society. Assman’s Funeral Chapel in care of arrangements.
Bowman, Victor Frank, Born October 16, 1939 passed away peacefully after a very brief stay at Rotary Hospice House on November 13, 2018. Vic was a longtime member and past President of the Prince George Rotary Club, Past President and director of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, Past Chair and board member of the Prince George, Northern BC & BC Construction Associations. Vic is survived by his three sons Kevin (April), Ward (Diana), Bryan (Janice), Nephew Chris (Darlene), Sister Marion Perison, Mother-in-law Mary Westlake, Brothers-in-law Ray Westlake (Lois), Doug Westlake (Jetta), Grandchildren Jessica (Rob), Nickolas (Aisha), Oliver, Hamish, Ewan, Norah & Jordys, Great Grandchildren Tiani, Mckinley and Paisley, many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends. Vic was predeceased by his wife Lenore, parents Bill and Mabel, brother Andy and father-in-law Ralph Westlake. There will be no funeral service by request. There will be a Celebration of Life at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club Friday, November 30th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.
Thank you to the Northern Health Home
Support team and to all the staff at Hospice House. And a very special thank you to Dr.’s Knoll, Butow and especially Dr. Boucher for her superior care and kindness. Donations in lieu of flowers to Rotary Hospice House or to the charity of your choice.
HERMAN (JR) HENRY REICH
Passed away in his home on November 9, 2018 at the age of 80. Predeceased by his beloved wife Claudia Reich. Survived by his 3 children: Sandy Matt (Rob) of Kamloops, BC, John Matt (Candee) of Pritchard, BC, Karyn Apps (Bruce) of Prince George, BC, 7 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, brother Aurther Reich (Marlene) of Windfield, BC. Predeceased by his son Jason Matt, grandson Jordan Apps, parents Emil & O’Tillie Reich.
As per JR’s request, there will only be a small family gathering.
Michael (Sonny) John Metro Olkanych
Sonny was born February 7th, 1964 and passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 18th, 2018. He was a loving father, uncle, brother, and friend to many. He is survived by; his children Michael, Roxanne, Ariel and Lucus, his sisters Donalene Clarke and Mary Ann Carter and Mother Gertrude. We welcome all friends and family to join us at his Celebration of Life being held at The Elks Community Hall, 663 Douglas Street, on December 6th, 2018 at 10:00am.
CLAUDE LUSSIER
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our father Claude Jean Lussier, born February 25, 1937 in St. Louis, Saskatchewan, passed away in Hospice House November 18, 2018 at the age of 81 years after a long battle with cancer. Claude has been a resident of Prince George for 46 years. He is predeceased by his loving wife Doris of 59 years of marriage, one brother, one sister and his parents. He will always be remembered as the Colonel of Alward Place, the mayor of Spruceland and Claude’s barbershop. He will be greatly missed by his six children; Roger (Darlene), Linda (Cal), Allan (Wendy), Denis (Moeveen), Rose and Tammy (Sheldon) as well as twelve grandchildren, four great grandchildren, brothers Lionel and Roland. A viewing for goodbye’s will be held at Assman’s Funeral Chapel on Sunday, November 25th, 2018 7:00-8:00pm. Funeral Service will be held on Monday, November 26th, 2018 at 10:00am at St. Mary’s Parish (Freeman Street) with Fr. Gilbert Bertrand. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Foundation. Thank you Hospice House for all the wonderful care and love for our father and thank you to Dr. Grose and Dr. Hamilton. Assman’s Funeral Chapel in care of arrangements.
Federal agency spending 12 times more on fossil fuel industry than clean tech
Mia RABSON Citizen news service
OTTAWA — New research shows Export Development Canada provided 12 times as much financial backing to oil and gas companies as it did to clean-technology companies over the last five years.
The findings by lobby group Oil Change International show that the federal government’s export-financing agency provided $62 billion in backing to oil and gas companies between 2012 and 2017, compared to the $5 billion offered to the clean-tech sector.
The report was released in partnership with a number of Canadian environment groups, which want Ottawa to redefine Export Development Canada’s mandate to move entirely away from financing the oil and gas sector by 2020. The agency has several programs aimed at helping Canadian companies sell abroad, including lending them money directly to scale up production and lending to buyers of Canadian products.
Patrick DeRochie, the climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence, says Canada cannot claim to be a climate leader when it is offering billions of dollars to companies that spew carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The markets today
TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index closed slightly lower on a very quiet day of trading Thursday even though the key energy sector rose despite a slide in the price of oil.
The S&P/TSX composite lost 3.44 points to 15,091.58 with just 83.3 million shares traded. The January crude contract was down 78 cents US in international trading at US$53.85 per barrel and the December natural gas contract was down 21.6 cents at US$4.23 per mmBTU.
The decrease in the price of West Texas Intermediate followed a report by Saudi Arabia suggesting production had hit record levels, says Candice Bangsund, portfolio manager for Fiera Capital.
“So that’s obviously weighing on crude prices this afternoon and further reinforcing that market concern about the reemergence of a supply glut in the crude market, in addition to yesterday’s weekly rise in crude inventories,” she said.
“Oil’s been having a pretty tough time, though we saw a little bit of a recovery a couple of days ago.”
A clearer picture about where prices will settle for the rest of the year will emerge when OPEC meets Dec. 6 to decide on production levels. Bangsund said the market didn’t react to the federal government’s fall economic update, which was largely in line with expectations.
“If anything, it probably reinforces that the Bank of Canada will continue on its path towards policy normalization,” she said, adding that the accelerated write-down of all capital costs should help to close the competitiveness gap with the U.S.
“Our hope is that this boosts business spending and business spending intentions and accordingly Canadian growth.
So that should keep the Bank of Canada firmly only its path to higher interest rates in the coming year.”
U.S. stock markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and will close early on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day in the U.S.
“It’s going to be really interesting to see how the consumer and the discretionary sectors hold up to see how the consumer is doing, being that we have seen a number of rate hikes.” The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 75.73 cents US compared with an average of 75.36 cents US on Wednesday.
Ottawa is in the midst of a review of Export Development Canada that’s required every 10 years and DeRochie said this is the perfect time to align the priorities of the agency with Canada’s climate-change policies to cut emissions between 25 and 30 per cent from current levels by 2030.
Shelley MacLean, a spokeswoman for EDC, said Thursday the agency welcomes the report and is studying it “with interest.” MacLean said in 2017, EDC worked with 225 Canadian clean-tech companies, up from the 113 companies supported between 2012 and 2015.
The EDC funds are beyond the $3.3 billion in tax incentives and other government subsidies to oil companies provided annually by Ottawa and the provinces.
As part of the G20 group of nations, the world’s biggest economies and biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, Canada committed to eliminating “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies back in 2009. No country has made significant progress on that front, Canada included, and the G20 hasn’t yet even defined what “inefficient” means.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is widely expected to attend the G20 summit in Argentina next week, where countries are supposed to report on progress toward the fossil-fuel phase-out.
A wind turbine overlooks a coal-fired power station in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Between 2012 and 2017, Export Development Canada spent $62 billion in support of fossil fuel companies, compared with $5 billion spent supporting clean technology firms.
Earlier this year Canada and Argentina agreed to do a peer review of each others subsidies but that work has no timeline for completion. The 2017 federal budget got rid of some tax incentives for successful oil exploration, and the previous Conservative government eliminated a policy that allowed oil producers to write off capital investments faster than other industries can.
However in Wednesday’s fall fiscal update the Liberals introduced a new policy to allow any manufacturer or processing company in Canada, including oil producers, to write off the full cost of capital investments in machinery and equipment as soon as the new gear goes into use.
The main difference in the new policy is that is not specific to oil producers but is available to all manufacturing and processing companies. The government also made the same tax incentive available to capital investments in clean technology equipment.
DeRochie said Environmental Defence has been asking the Department of Finance for
two years to do the exact opposite with capital cost allowance write-offs for oil companies and phase them out entirely.
“The department didn’t agree with us,” he said.
Mike Moffatt, a former economics adviser to Trudeau and now the senior director of policy and innovation at the University of Ottawa’s Smart Prosperity Institute, said the government doesn’t have to make a full choice to support only clean tech or only the oilpatch.
He said in fact many clean-tech solutions in Canada affect the oilpatch, with innovations that produce or burn fossil fuels with fewer emissions released into the atmosphere. But Moffatt said the government should do more to promote Canada’s clean-tech sector. Smart Prosperity wants a tax credit included in the next federal budget for people who invest in clean-innovation companies. Moffatt said there are gaps in funding for Canadian companies to scale up their production and additional federal help, particularly aimed at start-ups, would go a long way to helping Canada’s clean-tech industry expand.
Raising children, running a business have many similarities
Harold is a wise old carpenter who was working on the stairs in my house this week. Actually, to be honest, mid-70s doesn’t seem that old anymore, but Harold is wise. Over the past 20 years, Harold has supported me in fixing and building things for my businesses and my homes. When I asked Harold what I should write about this week, he told me that I should write about raising good kids.
“Dave” he said “people need help raising their kids too and it’s not so much different than running a business.”
Harold should know. Harold and his wife Jane successfully raised three happy children who themselves are making a difference in the world. So, in thinking about it, I thought Harold was probably correct and here is why:
1. Kids and business are usually the result of passion, not planning.
Statistics show that 50 per cent of pregnancies are surprises. This is not much different when we look at businesses. Many businesses are the result of the fact that the founder was passionate about a hobby or job and wanted to start a business to fulfill that passion.
Like first-time parents, these business owners really don’t understand what they are getting themselves in for. Just like some people without kids, they think they know exactly how to run a business until they actually have one of their own.
2. Parents and business owners are sleep deprived in the early years.
Often first-time parents and business owners are so focused on ensuring that everything is all right that they are wide awake in the middle
of the night. For most people, it takes three years to get your business and your kids to the point where you can get some good nights’ sleep. After three years you will still be woken up with crises and challenges, but by then your business is starting to grow and doesn’t need the same attention it took in the early years.
Be warned, however, that there will be sleepless nights as both the business and the kids get to their teens and beyond.
3. Raising kids and running a business take discipline and determination.
We can’t have kids or staff showing up whenever they want, doing whatever they please and treating people disrespectfully. If we do, we will lose customers and as parents perhaps even access to our children in extreme cases. It takes determination to ensure that kids are accountable and it takes determination to have a successful business. Both business and parenting require a lot of hard work to get them to the point of self-sufficiency.
4. Sometimes you have to ask people to leave.
I remember one time my parents suggesting that when I moved out that I shouldn’t plan on moving back anytime soon. Just as the time will come for your kids to move on, there are times when some customers or employees should move on as well. I have had to fire both
employees and customers and often times the results were good for everyone involved. Unfortunately for many people having that difficult conversation doesn’t happen quickly enough. The result is that we feel stressed and taken advantage of.
5. Be ready to be shocked.
Nothing ever quite happens the way we plan it when it comes to kids or businesses. Your kids are going to do things that will shock you and fill you with wonder, your business might not be so different. Both will give you wonderful surprises that will lift your spirits and at times bring you to tears.
6. Always remember kids trump business. How often have we seen business leaders who have neglected their kids in order to have a successful business or career.
The long days, missed birthdays, dinners, goodnight stories and time spent playing with your kids can never be replaced. We think the extra money we make for those big holidays, homes or cars makes up for that lost time, but it never really does.
Invariably, it comes back to haunt us. In the moment when we are struggling to make ends meet, keep our businesses afloat and working those extra long hours to move the dial on our career, we need to keep in mind that our kids love us, but our businesses never will. As Harold wisely said, “there are some similarities between raising kids and running a business, but in the end, it’s families that are important and it’s kids that give us purpose to succeed.”
Dave Fuller, MBA is an Award Winning Business Coach and once got a Dad of the Year shirt on Fathers Day. Questions about your business? Email dave@profityourselfhealthy.com
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”
